The VMware Foundation Good Gigs team arrived in South Africa last month for the deployment phase of an ambitious programme aimed at increasing digital literacy through professional development training at the LEAP 4 School in Diepsloot.

The VMware Foundation is a platform to amplify VMware employees’ passions and contributions in communities – through a unique approach to giving called Citizen Philanthropy. The Foundation believes that individual actions matter and adds up to a collective impact on the global community. All of the Foundation’s programmes are initiated by VMware employees in service of the causes closest to their hearts. Through the Good Gigs programme, VMware employees learn and grow through an immersive Service Learning experience.

“Through Good Gigs, employees become part of a global team of ‘Citizen Philanthropists’ by co-creating solutions to help solve social issues using technology with non-profit partners. Good Gig Trekkers not only make a difference, but also share a core part of who we are as a company with our global communities,” says Nicola Acutt, Vice President, Global Sustainability Strategy and Giving at the VMware Foundation.

After careful consideration, the VMware team identified the LEAP 4 Science & Maths School in Diepsloot as the next Good Gigs Trek. The project at the LEAP 4 School involved  a digital literacy programme whereby the team worked with LEAP teachers to introduce technology tools and applications to teachers, which  enhanced their students’ learning.

The results saw students improving their collaborative problem solving skills through project-based learning. Additionally, learners were able to deepen their understanding of technology tools, which can improve their chances of getting a good job and/or getting into university in the future.

How does it work? A Good Gigs Trek spans three months with three phases: Develop, Deploy, and Discover. Over the past six weeks, the team completed the Develop phase by gathering the requirements through talks with LEAP, and analysing their existing challenges and opportunities. During their time in South Africa, for the Deploy phase, the team was busy working to deliver an IT-focused professional development-training platform co-developed with the LEAP staff. After returning back home they will now enter the Discover phase, in which, the participants will unlock and share their insights.